A small northern Michigan dam failed. Others are increasingly at risk.

• One small dam, Buck’s Pond Dam, in Alcona County has already failed.
• Officials are worried about a spillover or a breach in other, larger dams.

A small dam in Alcona County has already failed. Emergency management officials are watching at least seven other northern Michigan dams that are being threatened by the gradually rising waters from storm downpours and snowmelt.

The worry is that a breach could unleash a deluge, flooding everything in its path.

Officials are using sandbags, pumps — and perhaps even prayer.

In addition to Cheboygan Lock and Dam — which was 6 about inches away from spilling over on Wednesday, April 15 — state officials identified six other northern Michigan dams as critical infrastructure under threat from the rising water.

They were: The Upper Hiawatha Dam in Montmorency County, Hillman Dam in Montmorency County, Homestead Dam in Benzie County, Union Street Dam in Grand Traverse County, Rugg Pond Dam in Kalkaska County and Bellaire Dam in Antrim County.

Buck’s Pond Dam, an 11-foot-high earth dam in Alcona County, collapsed on Monday, April 13, with the water flowing into Hubbard Lake, Michigan State Police said. There was damage to the roadway over the dam.

But officials said there were few other safety concerns.

Dam ruptures to the others, however, would be more troublesome.

Engineers shoring up some dams

In the past few days, the Cheboygan dam has been where engineers have concentrated efforts to shore up the structure and mitigate structural failure, with giant sandbags and pumps releasing water out of the reservoir to alleviate pressure.

And on Wednesday, much of the state was still under a flood watch.

Flood warnings and advisories have been issued throughout the Lower Peninsula, including along the Au Sable River, near River Oak; Manistee River, near Sherman; Muskegon River at Evart, and the Muskegon River at Newaygo and Bridgeton.

Emergency crews were working to stabilize Benzie County's Homestead Dam. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources-owned dam on the Betsie River is at risk of overflowing as water levels rise, the Benzie County Office of Emergency Management said.

In Bellaire, emergency officials urged residents and businesses on the Intermediate River downstream of the Bellaire Dam to prepare to evacuate, as water levels behind the more-than-100-year-old structure rose to within a foot of the dam’s top.

That, officials said, triggered the "Ready" stage protocol — the state’s Ready, Set, Go emergency system — in preparation for potential failure. A go-bag, officials said, should include medications and any important documents.

Consumers Energy: Our dams are safe

Consumers Energy said Wednesday that 13 hydroelectric dams are operating safely and reliably despite surging rivers, but that officials would be temporarily closing recreation sites downstream as a safety precaution.

"Heavy rains and melting snow and ice have put tremendous pressure on Michigan’s dams this week," Jean Kang, a Consumers Energy’s vice president, said. "But we want people to be sure to understand our 13 facilities are operating safely."

Under the Ready, Set, Go system, residents need to get "Ready" to evacuate their homes when water is a foot below the top of the dam with levels rising 3 inches a day or more.

When water reaches 6 inches below the top of the dam, with water levels rising at a rate of 3 inches per day or levels rising 3 inches per day and predicted to top the dam within 48 hours, it triggers the "Set" stage.

And when water levels are 1 inch below the top of the dam with a high probability of topping it, with the potential for failure occurring, residents need to leave and follow evacuation orders.

At all three stages, emergency officials urged residents to identify their home as empty by attaching something brightly colored to their front doorknob, so in the case of a flood, first responders know not to look for anyone inside.

Free Press staff writer Jalen Williams and Lansing State Journal staff writer Sarah Moore contributed to this report.

Contact Frank Witsil: 313-222-5022 or [email protected]